The Telegraph takes on audio storytelling using Alexa and Google Assistant

The Telegraph’s commitment to video and audio storytelling was further emphasised in 2017 with the hiring of two broadcast journalists.

Its portfolio of podcasts and drive to explore opportunities for news distribution on voice-controlled devices also points to a desire to build a diverse digital offering that places the brand in front of people who might otherwise not interact with The Telegraph, as well as reaching its existing audience on emerging platforms.

Rob Owers, director of video and audio at The Telegraph, joined the title after roles at Twitter and Sky News. His focus is to both improve the quality of the existing output and to explore the possibilities of branching out into different formats such as longform video.

The Telegraph already produces more than 10 podcasts, tackling some of the title’s core subject areas such as sports, Brexit, fashion, and food.

Users of Amazon’s Echo or Google Assistant will also come across The Telegraph’s flash briefing, as a pilot on these platforms is ongoing to find out what audiences on voice-controlled devices expect and what experiences they prefer.

“What we try to offer is something that differentiates ourselves from our competitors,” Owers says.